Could Mavs Trade for Ben Simmons Amid Nets' Kevin Durant Fallout?
The Dallas Mavericks made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals with Jalen Brunson stepping up in the backcourt alongside Luka Doncic. Now he's a member of the New York Knicks.
The options are limited for what the Mavericks can do to replace Brunson's impact. The team acquired Spencer Dinwiddie at the midseason trade deadline in part to insulate themselves from the worst case scenario. Is that enough though? There's a significant difference going from the third guard in the ranks to the second.
The Mavericks did acquire a second-round pick in order to select Jaden Hardy in the NBA Draft. He was considered as being a top five prospect in this year's class but his ranking faded throughout his season with the G-League Ignite.
After seemingly opting to not sign Goran Dragic, the Mavericks are currently slotted to rely on Hardy as their third guard. He's undoubtedly a talented player but for any rookie, that may be expecting too much, too soon. What are the options on the trade market? Depending on how some trade activity transpires, former NBA All-Star Ben Simmons could potentially be one.
Among the possible obstacles that the Nets face in a Durant trade is the designated rookie extension restriction of not being allowed to roster two players on such a contract if they are acquired via trade. Simmons is signed to one of those deals and was acquired in part of the James Harden trade, which limits Brooklyn's options. Unless, of course, they trade Simmons.
Simmons missed all of last season in part of his holdout after making a trade request. He then dealt with a back injury that prevented him from playing after he was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Brooklyn Nets. He'll have a full offseason to recover and be ready for 2022-23. Will it be as a member of the Nets?
In a trade speculation piece, NBA Analysis Network put together a trade package for the Mavericks to acquire Simmons from the Nets. In exchange, Dallas would send Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2025 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick swap to Brooklyn.
Brooklyn Nets Receive: G Spencer Dinwiddie, F Dorian Finney-Smith, 2025 First-Round Pick (DAL), 2028 First-Round Pick (Swap – DAL)
Dallas Mavericks Receive: G/F Ben Simmons
Parting with future draft capital would have to be for a player who is genuinely worth making a major effort to acquire. If we turned back the clock to the start of the 2020-21 season, Simmons would be meet this standard.
In a world where the best possible outcome for this trade plays out, the Mavericks will have received a point forward that can slide to a small-ball five role when needed. When teams look to blitz or hedge and recover against Doncic, he can give the ball up to Simmons in the short-roll to make a play.
There would be valid concerns with the lack of shot creation on the team outside of Doncic. Losing Brunson in free agency then parting with Dinwiddie in exchange for an outright non-threat in the shot creation department like Simmons would be limiting. Losing the spot-up shooting of Finney-Smith would hurt, too.
A move as bold as executing a trade for Simmons would be one that requires further roster changes. When healthy, he's an impactful player but is one whose limitations require accommodations. There'd be a lot of pressure on Doncic to score at a high volume barring additional acquisitions.
The Mavericks would likely need to rely on Christian Wood as more of a featured scoring threat after losing Brunson in free agency and parting with Dinwiddie in this trade package. Having the option of deploying Simmons at the four and Wood at the five would offer lots of versatility, but another scorer would likely be required.
For the Mavericks to make this trade, they'd need to do significant due diligence on Simmons' injury recovery as well as get a feel for where he's at mentally. If he's healthy, the best-case scenario is fascinating. It would be an intriguing possibility to pair Doncic with a 6-foot-11 point forward with unrivaled defensive versatility.
If the Mavericks did trade for Simmons and it ended up backfiring, they will have parted with two key role players and future draft capital. The outlook to improve the roster around Doncic after such an outcome would be bleak. For this reason, the risk would likely be too great.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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